Laws and health regulations of most states require that blood samples be taken from newborn babies shortly after birth. Such blood tests are used for blood typing, screening for certain blood dyscrasias, toxicological studies and other purposes. Frequently, two blood samples in two separate tubes are required. One sample is typically obtained in a "clot" tube without any added chemical; the other is usually obtained in an anticoagulation tube which also contains a predetermined amount of an anticoagulant such as ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA).
Previous techniques for extracting blood from umbilical cords have included simply dripping blood from the end of an umbilical cord into two separate open end test tubes or vacuum test tubes or containers, such as those known as VACUTAINER brand containers, from which the rubber stoppers have been removed. (VACUTAINER is a registered mark of Becton Dickinson and Company, of Rutherford, N.J.) Other techniques involve drawing blood from the umbilical cord using a standard hypodermic needle and syringe, and then sticking the needle through the rubber stoppers of two separate vacuum containers serially to insert the blood. Both methods allow spillage of blood in the delivery room and elsewhere, with the obvious possibility of contamination of the area and the attending staff. With the recent increased danger of AIDS and other blood-borne diseases, the risks presented by such spillage and contamination have increased dramatically.